The present invention relates to a mechanism for cutting a thread reserve of the spindles in a continuous spinning machine, which can secure a quick, effective and clean system for this operation.
When the continuous spinning machines were developed, it was necessary to replace the tubes already filled with thread with new clean tubes in an operation called xe2x80x9cdoffing-and-replacingxe2x80x9d which was carried out by hand. This operation was modernized to become automatic in that the thread begins to be wound on the tube without hand intervention. At the moment when the doffing-and-replacing ends, before withdrawing the tube filled with a thread, some turns of them are wound, approximately within three and seven, at the lower part of the spindle. These turns of the thread are called xe2x80x9creservexe2x80x9d, which thereafter shall be removed. Then the tube with the thread is replaced with a new empty tube, and a new cycle starts automatically. It is then necessary to cut the reserve and to clean the spindle so that no debris of thread remain which could hinder the following automatic replacement of the tube.
For cutting of the reserve, several kinds of mechanisms have been developed. One of them is an individual mechanism for a spindle attached to a continuous machine, such as for example a thin film fixed in front of the spindle and driven by the traveling cleaning mechanism. The other mechanism is common to several spindles and is attached on the continuous machine, so that it travels through guideways located along the whole length of the continuous machine in front or on the rear of the spindles eliminating the reserve. These mechanisms can be driven by a device of the continuous machine or by an external element, such as for example a traveling cleaning device arranged over the continuous machine. All these mechanisms however are characterized by difficult regulation, high maintenance cost and low effectiveness, especially due to the difficult alignment of the guideways with respect to the spindles and their guide length which exceed 40 meters.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for cutting a thread reserve of spindles in continuous spinning machines, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanism of the above mentioned general type, which cleans the reserves and secures that the spindle remains clean, in a simple and greatly efficient way.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in a mechanism for cutting a reserve of thread of spindles of continuous spinning machines, comprising a cutting blade; an element which is draggable and which is adjustable without contacting an area of a spindle where there exists a thread of a reserve to be cut and removed; and means for regulating an adjustment of said element.
When the mechanism is designed in accordance with the present invention, it is formed as a single mechanism which is common to all spindles of one phase of the continuous machine, and for its displacement it is dragged by a second mechanism of the continuous machine or by an external element, such as a traveling cleaning mechanism as in the already existing systems.
The present invention is not affected by either the amount of spindles to be simultaneously cleaned, or the amount of spindles for which a single displaceable mechanism is applied or the way of dragging.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.